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driver sent to test Ferraris against Porsches. For machine joinery, all of these jigs are impressively precise and almost laughably fast once you overcome the initial learning curve. The Leigh (p. 53) and the QuickTenon (p. 55) are faster in setting up, fine-tuning, and machining mortise-and-tenon joints. The MatchMaker (p. 54) and the WoodRat (p. 55) sacrifice some of this lightning speed in the interest of greater joinery versatility, such as cutting dovetails and louvers. And because the MatchMaker is the only one of these machines that mills tenons with the workpiece oriented horizontally, it will accommodate much longer workpieces more easily than any of the other machines. Anyone accustomed will feel at home with the Leigh and the QuickTenon. The MatchMaker and the WoodRat initially may seem a bit foreign, but the former's long levers and the latter'S stock-feeding system offer exceptional cutter conu'o!' The Leigh, which is easily stored away when not needed, and the WoodRat, which requires minimal floor space, will appeal to woodworkers whose shop space is at a premium. In the end, I think any of these to jigs is worth considering for the combination of speed and precision they offer. Such classic shop variables as available space and the scope or style of work that you do make it difficult to provide a one-size-fitsall recommendation. If you're thinking of buying one of these tools, you might want to remember this: All of these machines come with an unconditional 30-day (or better) guarantee, which would give you a month in which to be your very own final arbiter. D Michael Standish does custom trim carpentry and cabinetwork jobs in a garage shop just south of Boston. 56 FIN E woo D W 0 R KIN G routers The Price: $2,595 Source: 800-480-7269 Soon after I started to make furniture for a living, a quick and accurate way to make mortlse-and-tenon JOints became a necessity. In 1992, when I first saw the Multi-Router, made by the JDS Company, I bought one on the spot. This essentially Is a small milling machine, powered by a portable router, with a table that moves on www Handle controls each axis. With the Multi-Router, you have a separate handle for each of the X, chine will execute. Van Benten has used this machine in a production shop for more than 10 years, and he reports that the linear bearings on which the tables ride still work flawlessly. V; Z movements this ma- Is clamped to this table. There Is also a vertical table, to which the router (equipped with a splral-upcut bit) Is mounted horizontally, and this table provides a Z-axis motion. X The beauty of this machine Is In Its construction. The range of motion Is supplied by linear roller bearings run- ning on ground steel rods attached to ground aluminum tables. The table motion Is absolutely effortless, and there Is no discernible play In the bearings. The rods have flexible, movable collars and easy-to-adjust stops. In our shop, we clamp pieces as large as bed ralls to the table with mlnlmal outboard support, and we get JOints that are uniform and repeatable. The tables come from the factory drilled out with a series of holes to accommodate either man- ual or pneumatic clamps. If you have a compressor, the air clamps are much faster and stronger than the manual clamps. They hold the work with unbelievable tenacity and facilitate very quick changing of parts. The holes In the horizontal table allow Instant setup for basic angle cuts. Hard plastic buttons fit in the holes in various patterns to create standard angles. We use this feature to mill the ends of large parts for multisided frames, after cutting the parts to approximate size on the bandsaw. The resulting JOints are perfect, without the problems you get when using a tablesaw. The setup for angled cuts is not any more difficult than the setup for straight cuts. Another feature of the Multi-Router Is a stylus mounted on the vertical table that contacts and traces patterns mounted on the horizontal table. The stylus arrangement requires considerable setup time, and It does allow some objectionable flex In the cutting. Varying the pressure against the stylus can have an Impact on the thickness of a milled part. We use this machine to make mor- Templates guide the cut. This machine comes with 42 different templates and inserts to use with various sizes of router bits. A steel stylus on the vertical router table traces the patterns, which are mounted on the horizontal table. tises, tenons, and loose-spllne joints. After 12 years of use, this machine Is holding up beautifully. As a matter of fact, It has outlasted three routers. 0 Is JDS Multi-Router SY JOSEPH VA N SENTEN in a class by itself .theJdscompany.com and Y axes. The workpiece